Store-service apparatus



2 SheetsSheet 1.

Patented Dec. 18, 1888.

(No Model.)

J. T. OOWL -EY.

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

N. PETERS, Phnlo-Liflwgraphcr, Washington, D. C.

(No, Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. T. COWLEY.

- STORE SERVICE APPARATUS. A No. 394,835. Patented Dec. 18, 1888.

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N, PETER8, Plwm-Lilhographnr, Washington. D1 C,

, linrrn' STATES- ATENT rrrcn.

JABIES T. COXLEY, OF NElV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE LAMSON STORE SER"ICE COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

STORE-SERVlCE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,835, dated December18, 1888.

Application filed May 6, 1887. Serial No. 237,347. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES T. COWLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have in ventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Store-Smwice Apparatus, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of storeservice apparatus in which itis desired to arrest or deflect certain carriers at certain points uponthe way or track; and my invent-ion consists in providing each carrierwith a movable contact-piece adapted to arrest or deflect the carrier bycontact with a device adjacent to the way, and in setting or alteringthe position of the contact-piece upon the carrier by the movement ofone of the wheels of the carrier after the latter has traversed apredetermined distance.

Hy invention further consists in a means for holding in their openposition the yielding gates sometimes employed upon certain classes ofcarriers.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of astore-service carrier embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation inpart section showing the parts in a different position. Fig. 3 is asectional elevation taken on the line n o of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a centralsectional elevation of a sleeve, disk, and worm-wheel, hereinafterdescribed. Fig. 5 is a transverse section illustrating a modification.Fig. 6 is a side view illustrating a modification.

The carrier may be of any suitable con struction, and the track A mayconsist of a single wire or bar, or of parallel rails either inclined orhorizontal or capable of being altered in inclination for the purpose ofpropelling the carrier by gravity, as my invention is adapted to be usedin connection with various constructions of carriers and systems ofstore service. As shown, the carrier is provided with a frame, B,supported from the way by means of two grooved wheels, 0 O, and one ofthe wheels is provided with a shaft carrying a worm-gear, 2, which gearswith a worm-wheel, 3, upon the shaft 4, carried by the frame and havinga central worm, 5. The frame B also carries a slide, D, capable of avertical movement and provided with a suit-- able detentas, forinstance, a detentlever, E, havinga shoulder, (3, which engages with ashoulder, 7, on the frame,and thereby maintains the slide 1) in its mostelevated position. A spring, 62, is provided on the slide to bearagainst the detent-lever E and hold it in engagement with the shoulder7, and also cause it to automatically engage therewith when the slide israised to its normal position. Ob- 6o viously this tlGtGlllT-lQ'VQl.might be weighted to effect the same result as said spring. The slide Dalso carries a hub or sleeve, 8, upon which is mounted a disk, 9, andalso a wormwheel, 10, the latter adapted to engage with the worm 5 whenthe slide is in the elevated position, (shown in Fig. 1,) and the disk 9is provided with a projection, 12, which, when brought against one sideof the detent-lever E, will swing it in the direction of the arrow, Fig.2, and carry the shoulder 6 away from the shoulder 7 and near the slide,and the parts carried thereby will fall either by its weight or by itsweight aided by a spring, as 91, to the position shown in Fig. 2. Thismovement of the slide is made the means of varying the position of themovable contact-piece or lever F, pivoted to the frame at 00, and alsoconnected to the slide by a pin, (3], which lever, when in the positionshown in Fig. 1, produces no effectthat is to say, the lever is in suchposition with respect to the means which is to arrest or deflect acarrier that it passes said means without arresting or deflecting itscarrier; but when carried to the position shown in Fig. 2, by thedropping of the slide, the lever is then in position to make contactwith a contactpiece, G, that serves to deflect the carrier and cause itto pass either to another track or arrests its motion upon the maintrack or disconnects it from the main track in any of the variousmanners in which carriers have been deflected, arrested, anddisconnected in storeservice apparatus, and which need not be here 5specifically set forth. In the construction shown the end of the lever Fis curved, so that when it contacts with the piece G it deflects thecarrier to one side and causes it to pass onto a branch track.

In order that the carrier may be deflected to the proper point, it isnecessary to drop the with the detent-lever E after the car has 1 movedto a determined extent.

In practical operation the wheels t" are revolved as the car moves uponthe wire, and the revolution oi? the wheel t, through the intermediateparts, turns the disk it until the lug or projection 12 thereoneontacd's with the detent-lever E, when the latter will he thrown hackand disengaged from its shoulder 7, when the slide will drop and thelever 11 will he set in position to operate in connection with thecontact-piece (i. hen the slide ,1) drops, as in Fig. 2, the disk El andworm-wheel it) are carried with it, and these parts may then he restoredautomatically to their initial position before heing raised to theirnormal position, as in Fig. .l, hy a spring, 13, connected to a stud orpin, 14, that; supports the huh or sleeve 8, carrying the disk andwormwheel l0, and also connected to the said huh or sleeve or to thedisk, so as to he coiled up as the disk is turned by the revolution ofthe shai't -i in the direction of the arrow, Fig. i, aml when the slideD drops and the worm-wheel it) is removed from gear with the worm 5 andthe disk is free to turn the spring l3 will reverse its movement until astop, 15, upon the disk is brought in contact with. the detentlever Eand ready to he raised to the normal posit ion. The spring fit, foraiding the descent oi. the slide and the disengagenumt ot' the worm andwheel it), is held at the lower end oi? the Frame and is borne againsthya stud projecting from the side of the slide. Before the car is sentback, which is done generally after it is removed irom the way, theouter end of the lever F depressed, should the automatic air re. .ing ordeflecting of the carrier he necessary on its return to its place oistarting, when the parts will he raised and restored to their iirst.position, (shown in Fig, 1,) and the car will travel. until thedeie'nt-lever is again moved hack by contact with the lug, pin, orprojection 12, when the operations ahove described are repeated.

I have shown the appliances which i have just descrlhed and which areillustrated in the drawings simply for the purpose of illustrating myinvention as emhodiml in one form of construction; hut l have devised.various means of adjusting a lever or other ctmtactpiece upon the carfrom the revolution oi? the wheels, so that after the car has traveledthe determined distance the said lever or contaetkpiece will he inposition to engage with another contact piece or device upon oradjacentto the way, which will cause the arrest oi the car at its proper stationor detlect it at. the proper point onto a branch track. I there tore donot: limit. in yselii' to the particular construction shown. For thepurpose ot illus trating another arrangemenit emhodying the samel'nfinciphg l have shown in Fig. the frame l3 as suspended front wheelsone oi? which turns upon a pin, 10, and has its huh i'ormcd into orcarries a worm-wheel, 4-2, that engages upon a worm, 4- on a shaft, it,carried hy ln'ackets 17 of the i'rame and carrying a contact piece orarm, 11", which is changed in position as the car moves along the trackA until it is in a horizontal position (shown in dotted lines) orotherwise in position to maize contact with any suitahle device. Forarresting or deflecting the car.

In Fig. ii the shaft oif one of the wheels is provided with a smallpinion,hs, which gears with a. rack, .19, upon an arm, 20, pivoted tothe Frame and ta'irrying a contact-pieee, 'l which, when the arm hasheen. raised to the proper extent, will hring the piece F in position tocontact with the proper device for arresting or dei'lecting the car. Therack it) is shown as pivoted to the arm 20 and pressed outward hy asping, 5:3, which insures the engagement oi the rack and pinion,hutpermits the rack to he thrown hack to adjust the arm.

()ther modes oi adjusting a contact-piece upon the car hy the movementderived from one oi the wheels will suggest tlu nnselves to any onefamiliar with the art. lpret'er,however, such an arrangement as willavoid the setting oi the contact-piece until just prior to the time whenit should strike the. device which is to arrest or dei'leet the car, sothatat other times the said contact-pieee will he. out; of the way oifother arresting devices with which other cars passing upon the same waymay have to contact.

In that class oi storeservice apparatus where it is desired to l()(.l\'the carrier to the way hy means of pivoted wings or guards II II, asshown in l1ig..i, the said guards are maintainial generally in elevatedpositions until depressed upon passing the supports of the way hy meansoi' a connecting-spring, 29.

An ohjection to the arrangements heretoi'ore. adopted has heenthat.theguards are always under the influence oi the spring tending toelevate it, so as to interfere with the quick placing oi? the carrierupon the way. To avoid this Iconnect each end of the spring to a stud orhearing, 21, upon the wing, so arranged that when the wing is at itsupper posit ion tlmhearing 2i willhe a l it)\'t1. the pivot 22 ot' thewing; butwhen the wing is turned down to itslowest position the hearings21 will he helow said pivots, so that the spring then will act to drawthe guards together and hold them in their lowest position. The springthus holds the guards in hoth their highest and lowest positions,accmrding as they are set, and ot' course when moved to their lowestl'iosition in passing a track-support they may he returned to theirhighest position automatieally by any suitable means-such as the cam 24:(dotted lines, Fig. 1)-on or near the track,which will contactwith theguard-studs 25 in a manner well known, which studs may be sleeved, sothat they may roll when contacting with the cam, as 24, in operating theguards.

\Vithout limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement orparts shown, I claim 1. The combination, with a car for storeserviceapparatus, of a movable stop-contacting piece, as F, carried by the car,and connections between the said piece and one of the wheels, wherebythe rotation of the latter as the car travels upon the way is made themeans of adjusting the said contacting-piece into operative position,substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a car for store-service apparatus, of a framesupported by the wheels of the car, a stop-contacting piece, as F,adjustable upon said frame, and connections between the saidcontact-piece and one of the wheels, wherebyit is moved into operativeposition from the movement of said wheel, substantially as set forth.

The combination, in a store-service apparatus, of a way, devicesarranged adjacent to the way to arrest or deflect the carriers, andcarriers moving upon the way provided with movable contact-pieces, as F,andoperating-gears between the latter and one of the wheels, said piecesadapted to contact with the said devices, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, in a carrier forastoreservice apparatus, of amovable contact-piece, as F, a detent for holding the latter in oneposition, and a movable lug or projection geared to be operated by oneof the wheels and arranged to contact with the detent to release thesaid contact-piece and change its position after the car has traveled apredetermined distance, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a car, a contact-piece consisting of a pivotedlever, a slide connected with said lever, a detent for maintaining theslide in its elevated position, and a sleeve or shaft carrying a lug forcontacting with said detent and geared to be operated by one of thewheels, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination of a wheeled carrier, a

contact-piece consisting of a pivoted lever, a slide connected with saidlever, a detent for maintaining the slide in its elevated position, asleeve or shaft carrying a lug for contacting with said detent andgeared to be operated by one of the wheels, and a spring for aiding inlowering said slide when the detent is struck, substantially asdescribed.

'7. The combination of the contact-piece, as F, revolving shaft gearedto be operated by one of the wheels, an adjustable lug carried by orwith said shaft, and a detent in position to be struck by said lug forretaining the contact-piece in position until so struck, substantiallyas set forth.

8. The combination, in a wheeled carrier, of the contacting-piece, as F,a slide, a revoluble lug carried by said slide and geared to be operatedby one of the wheels, and a detent also carried by said slide inposition to be struck by said lug,whereby to adjust the position of thecontact-piece, substantially as described.

9. The combination, in a wheeled carrier, of a contact-piece, as F, arevoluble shaft geared to be operated by one of the wheels and carryinga lug, and a detent for holding the shaft in gear and in position to becontacted by said lug to remove said shaft from gear with said wheel,substantially as described.

10. The combination, in a wheeled carrier, of the contact-piece, as F,revolving shaft geared to be operated by one of the wheels, anadjustable lug carried with said shaft, a detent in position to bestruckby said lug for retaining the contact-piece in position until sostruck, and a spring for returning the lug to its initial posit-ion,substantially as described.

11. The combination, in a wheeled carrier, of the contact-piece, as F, arevolving shaft geared to be operated by one of the wheels, anadjustable lug carried with said shaft, a detent in position to bestruck by said lug for retaining the contact-piece in position until sostruck, a spring for returning the lug to its initial position, and astop for limiting said return movement, substantially as described.

12. The combination,with the wheel of a carrier and a shaft in geartherewith, of a second shaft in gear with the first-mentioned shaft andcarrying a lug revoluble therewith, a detent for holding said shafts ingear and in position to be struck by the lug to disengage the shafts,and a contact-piece, as F, adapted to be adjusted to operative positionwhen the shafts are disengaged, substantially as described.

13. The combination, with a wheel of a carrier and a shaft. in geartherewith, of a second shaft in gear with the first-mentioned shaft andcarrying a lug and adjustably mounted thereon, whereby its position withrespect to the detent may be changed, a detent for holding said shaftsin gear and in position to be struck by the lug to disengage the shafts,and a eontactpiecc, as F, adapted to be adjusted to operative positionwhen the shafts are disengaged, substantially as described.

114.. The combination, with a wheeled car rier, a shaft in geartherewith and provided with a worm, of a second shaft havingawheel ingear with said worm and carrying a revolublc lug, a detent for holdingsaid worm and wheel in gear and in position to be struck by the in todisengage the worm and wheel, and a contact-piece, as F, moved intooperative position by the disengagement of the worm and wheel,substantially as described.

15. The combination, with a wheeled car- IIO rieiand a shaft. in geartherewith, of a vertii which are above the pivots of the g'z'itzes when(rally-movable slide val-tying a second shaft I the latter are raisedand below said. pivots held in gear with the iirstanentioned shaft whenthe gates are iowoi'od, substantially as T5 by a detent alngeai-ried bysaid sovond shaft described. for contacting with said detentt todisengage In testimonywherool'ihavesigned my name the shafts, and a(Olli'ZKi-IHOOI, as F, coni tothisspecificationintheprosomreoftwosnhnocted with said slide, so as to he moved into scribing witnesses.operative position when the shafts are disen gagged, snhsi antially asdescribed. no 16. The condiinationaviththe pivoted gates Witnesses:

of a store-service ("m-rim, of a connecting- IC. L. GILEH, springattaohed to said gates at hearings 2i, t '11. HISHUP.

